Pulse
by TapesAndRecords
Summary: "Would you like to accompany me on the rest of my run?" She's just jogging past when he catches sight of her. ; An AU in which he first sees her running. Inspired by a gifset on Tumblr.


**note:** Uh, hey there. If anyone still remembers me. It's been over a month; it's been a very long time. I've had serious block issues, and lack of faith in my writing, and lack of inspiration, but today... was different. If anyone's on Tumblr, you may have already seen the gifset I wrote this off, or indeed the fic itself. But I wanted to post it here too so anyone still reading gets _something_.  
This is short, yes, as it was just a drabble tacked onto an AU gifset. If you go visit everythingismadefromdreams on Tumblr, and view her incredible gifsets, you'll see the one I'm about to explain. But basically, in Season 1, Tony sees a woman jogging and runs after her. This gifset made that woman Ziva. People on Tumblr were like "write it, write it" so, uh, I did? And I wrote and wrote and it just kinda... happened. I really, really hope you guys like this. If you left a reply, I'd love you to the moon and back. Enjoy.

**disclaimer:** of course not. it's 2am.

* * *

She's just jogging past when he catches sight of her. A big grey beanie and shades she pushes up, and brown curls that bob up and down with each step. He's seen her quite a few times; passed and admired her on his jogging route, but they've never spoken. There and then, though, he just knows. This is it.

"It's her." he splutters out, swallowing his mouthful as quickly as he can. The bread sticks in his throat a little but he doesn't care. His heart's racing and he thinks his palms are sweating, and there's a sick feeling rising up from the pit of his stomach that's definitely not the food.

"Who?" Ducky asks, looking round intrigued as Tony reaches for a napkin and wipes his mouth messily.

He doesn't know how to tell them it's _the_ _woman with the_ _grey beanie_, who he's been admiring from afar for months, so opts for the next best thing as he replies, "The love of my life."

Standing, he jogs away, leaving his colleagues- and more regrettably his sandwich- alone.

He crosses the street haphazardly, darting between pedestrians and cars before he ends up on the sidewalk right next to the park in a cacophony of car horns and yells.  
She's a little ahead of him, her pace unrelenting, and his heavy jacket and rather full stomach are weighing him down considerably. Ordinarily, he'd either give up or toss the jacket aside, but today, he's determined.

"Hey!" he yells out, louder than intended, and almost everyone nearby in the street turns to look at him, grey beanie included. She doesn't stop though, merely smirks at him, seemingly knowing he's looking for her, and turns back round, her steady pace continuing.

"Oh, so it's like that, then?" he murmurs, under his breath, gaining speed. He overtakes her seconds later, spinning round and jogging backwards.

She blinks at him over her sunglasses, apparently unfazed, and keeps jogging. Not quite the effect he was going for but he'll take it.

"Hi. I'm—"

"Blue t-shirt, yes? I have seen you a few times."

Her voice is heavenly. That's the first thing he thinks and he hopes to God he didn't say it aloud. She's got something of an accent; it's deep and mysterious and oh, he knows catching up with her today was a good idea.

He smiles, awkwardly offering out a hand as he tries not to back up into a street sign. His pace is lagging a little with his backwards steps and they're a little closer than they were before.  
"Yeah. Uh, Tony."

"Ziva." she nods, shaking his hand and slowing down to a halt. He takes a look behind him, where Kate and Ducky stand in confusion in the distance. He waves his hand, gesturing at them to leave without him, and he thinks he might just see Kate roll her eyes before sitting down again.

"So-" he cuts off, distracted by his new friend's rather nice ass, as she stretches down to her toes right there on the sidewalk. He averts his eyes accordingly, but she probably knows he's been staring anyway.

She stands up, looking a little accusingly at him, with her shades now tucked into the front of her t-shirt. Her eyes are brown, he notes, and he doesn't know why but brown seems good.  
"Is there a reason you almost got yourself killed trying to come and speak to me?"

He runs a hand through his hair, smiling awkwardly.  
"You saw that, huh?"

"I thought you avoided the cyclist rather deftly." she smirks with a deadpan tone, and for some reason it makes him laugh. Oh, she's got fire in her eyes, this one.

"Thanks, it's kinda a talent of mine."

"Avoiding things?"

His jaw drops a little, stunned by her bluntness but taking the hint all the same.  
"Uhm. I wanted to know if you'd maybe like to get a drink with me… sometime."

His awkwardness is unusual, and uncomfortable. And she might just sense it, too, as she brings a hand up and pats his cheek rather playfully.

"I do not even know your last name. But, I would love to."

His heart flutters a little.  
"It's DiNozzo. Tony DiNozzo."

She smiles, properly this time, and it makes his stomach flip and ache painfully.  
"Ziva David. It is… it's nice to meet you."

"You too." he murmurs, and he's never meant anything more in his life, he doesn't think.

"Would you like to accompany me on the rest of my run?"

He casts a glance over his shoulder once more. Kate and Ducky are gone, as is that sandwich, he supposes, and though he should really get back to work the pull of her smile is too much to resist.

"Sure."  
He sends her a grin, the really charming one this time, and she merely slips her shades back on and heads off. He thinks he was almost expecting that.

(She kicks his butt when they attempt to race. He lets her.)


End file.
